In 2003, some power plants had to reduce output so as not to further heat river water, leading to a production loss of 5.5TWh, equivalent to 1% of EDF’s production that year. The aim of the adaptation actions launched by EDF, has been to increase the safety margin and maintain production levels during such periods.
The Grands Chauds (“Heatwaves”) plan launched in 2008 resulted in EDF making improvements to cold water source cooling efficiency for some of its power plants, and hardening reactor building electronics so that they can withstand temperatures in excess of 50°C. All EDF group power plants currently under construction (including Flammanville 3 and Hinkley Point C) have been designed taking into account the most recent climate scenarios; in particular, this has involved revising the rise in sea levels upwards.
Given summer temperatures and rainfall, watercourse flow was sufficient in 2021. There was no loss of production to comply with regulations on temperature or river warming, or to adhere to minimum river flows.
In order to reinforce resilience to extreme climate events and risks relating to the massive inflow of water into reservoirs, the EDF group is implementing the following actions:
| Reassessment of extreme flooding | Regular reassessment of extreme flooding to ensure the capacity of flood evacuation infrastructure is maintained. |
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| “Piano Key Weir” Technology | Development and installation in 9 of EDF’s hydroelectric facilities of an innovative technology known as a Piano Key Weir (PKWeir), allowing a far greater quantity of water to flow through without increasing the dimensions of the dam. |
| Adaptation works |
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Enedis is working to reduce the vulnerability of its networks, experimenting with local zero emission generators, and has set up an Electricity Rapid Intervention Force (FIRE).
| Reducing network vulnerability | Enedis is also working on reducing the vulnerability of its 1.4 million kilometres of networks. This mainly consists in burying high-voltage overhead lines to avoid risks of falling trees, wind, snow and frost, beginning with the most exposed facilities. In 2021, 2,341km of high voltage overhead lines and 3,588km of low voltage overhead lines were removed. In the island regions, 95% of new networks are built underground. |
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| Electricity Rapid Intervention Force (Force d’intervention rapide électricité, FIRE) | Enedis set up (1) the Electricity Rapid Intervention Force (Force d’intervention rapide électricité, FIRE), enabling resources and staff to be redeployed nationwide to restore power as quickly as possible. FIRE is one of the EDF group’s key measures to respond to extreme weather risks. FIRE currently has 2,500 technicians trained for crisis situations and 11 logistics storage facilities across the country, allowing the deployment of 1,800 high-power generators (> 60kVA) and 1,000 low-power generators (10kVA), meeting the power needs of low voltage networks during significant climate incidents |
| 2021 was impacted by Storm Aurore in addition to several storms and snow episodes which were quickly brought under control. In 2021, FIRE intervened on 5 occasions. |
The EDF group’s climate strategy governance forms part of its sustainable development governance (see section 3.5.2 “CSR governance bodies”). This is supervised, in accordance with the independent management of the network’s infrastructure managers, at the top Group level.
At the end of 2020, to bolster its climate governance, and in line with the highest TCFD standards, the EDF group appointed Climate point persons within its Executive Committee and its Board of Directors (2):
| COMEX Climate Point person | The Group Senior Executive Vice-President in charge of Innovation, Corporate Social Responsibility & Strategy is the Climate point person within the Group Executive Committee. In this capacity, he presents the Group’s carbon-neutrality ambition to the Board’s Corporate Social Responsibility Committee and the Board itself. |
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| Board of Directors Climate Point person | The Chairwoman of the Corporate Responsibility Committee is the Climate point person within the Board. She ensures, in liaison with the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee’s Climate point person, that the Board identifies all impacts of climate change for the Group and that the work undertaken by the Board as well as the strategy it defines include considerations pertaining to climate change. |
(1) In the continuity of the 1999 storms.
(2) See also the EDF group press release of 10 December 2020.
